.260 or 6.5x55?

[Buck13]

If you were buying a new (or used) rifle, would you choose a .260 Remington or 6.5x55 Swede, and why?

 

[justin22885]

id choose the .260 remington, same ballistics as the 6.5x55 but available on many more rifles, not just bolt actions but also semi automatics as well, can be inexpensively made on .308 brass so its going to be a lot cheaper to reload, and even though the 6.5x55 case is larger, the 260 remington operates at 7,000PSI more

 

[eastbank]

i have three .260,s and four 6.5x55,s. i like the .260 as cases can be made out of .243-7mm08-308,s and can be in a short actions and with the higher pressures the 260 can make up any differences or gains a 6.5x55 may give you. as my 6.5x55,s are in swedish model 96-38 older milsurp actions i don,t load the 6.5x55 to higher pressure. but with a modern rifle i think the 6.5x55 may shade the 260, but not by much and with the ease of making 260 cases i lean towards the 260 remington. eastbank.

 

[jmr40]

I'd buy the 6.5 Creedmore. The 6X55 is a long action round and can always be loaded a little faster, but not enough to interest me. Nor enough to buy a long action rifle.

The 260 was a good idea, but the 6.5 is a little better and the one I see with a future.

 

[justin22885]

doesnt the creedmor and 6.5x47mm requite fire-forming to make brass out of .308 where 260 remington is just a necked up .308?.. the creedmoor and 6.5x47 look like decent bolt action cartridges but if it was going into, or i believed id eventually get into a semi automatic i would want the shoulder angle of the .260 remington for more reliable feeding

 

[Gtscotty]

If I go 6.5 again it will be with a 6.5 CM or .260. Not having a lot of modern full pressure loads published for the 6.5x55 kind of bugged me.

I actually saw where Kimber is going to start shipping 6.5 CM Montanas with threaded barrels in 2016. That chambering seems like it would be a good fit for such a light rifle, and the ability to screw on a can would just be icing on the cake. I might wind up with one.

 

[Corn-Picker]

I'd choose the rifle you want first, then worry about the caliber. There's not enough difference between 243/260/6.5 creedmoor/6.5x55/7mm-08/7x57 to justify choosing one over the other IMO. Find a rifle that fits and get it in whatever caliber is closest to your dream caliber.

 

[eastbank]

i would think what uses i would want the rifle for and than decide on what rifle i wanted and also decide what the proper twist for the bullets i would use( heavy or light for hunting or target). my 6.5x55 swedes like 140-156 gr fairly heavy bullets, but my .260 rem xp-100R pistol, browning low wall and 7600 like 120-129gr bullets. eastbank.

 

[SwaneeSR]

Good Question

I am looking for a reasonable price on any of the three options. All three would be great options for deer. I have been looking for a Tikka T3 in .260 or 6.5x55 or an Xbolt in 6.5 CR.

It seems the lack of supply has pushed prices a little higher. I was hoping Grabagun would get some in stock at the prices listed.

The only used option at my Cabelas today was a poor milsurp Gustav that was missing parts for $999.

Not what i am looking for.

Swanee

 

[justin22885]

SwanseeSR, im sure you could get a savage in any of those calibers, and if you ever decide you no longer want the caliber you can buy the barrel you want and swap it out yourself

 

[SwaneeSR]

Justin

I would have no trouble purchasing a Savage. I just have not found a similar caliber to handle at a local shop. I would like to find a .270 in the same model to see if it fits.

Swanee

 

[Gtscotty]

Good Question

I am looking for a reasonable price on any of the three options. All three would be great options for deer. I have been looking for a Tikka T3 in .260 or 6.5x55 or an Xbolt in 6.5 CR.

It seems the lack of supply has pushed prices a little higher. I was hoping Grabagun would get some in stock at the prices listed.

The only used option at my Cabelas today was a poor milsurp Gustav that was missing parts for $999.

Not what i am looking for.

Swanee

Eurooptic.com seems to have a T3 Hunter .260 , and a fluted SS Hunter 6.5x55 in stock. Gunbroker has some 6.5 CM X-Bolts listed.

Edit: My bad, both of the ones in stock are Hunter models, not Forest models.

 

[oneounceload]

The Swede has been proven for over 115 years; mine was awesome.

 

[SwaneeSR]

To anyone who has handled the Tikka Forest model... What do you think of the stock fit?

I was planning to get a Leopold VX2 with 40mm objective. Is this stock meant for larger scopes?

 

[Olympus]

I wish there were more factory rifles being produced in 6.5 Creedmoor and 260. Pretty limited compared to say 243 or 7mm08.

 

[rayatphonix]

I've got the 6.5's in 5 chambers, including Creedmoor and .260. Ballistically, they're very close. The .260 can easily be formed from most of the .308 cartridges, but I've never had an issue finding .260 brass. The Creedmoor was based on a 30tc cartridge as I recall so forming from .308 is more involved. But again, brass has been easy to find, even once fired. Creedmoor was designed for a semi auto rifle, so it works well in SA rifles.

Either work well and if I had to choose I'd go with the Creedmoor as I think it continues to gain more fans. To get the most out of the Swede, you need to hand load due to pressure limitations of most factory ammo.

 

[Txhillbilly]

6.5 Creedmoor brass is easily made from 22-250 brass. Just neck it up and fire form it. The 22-250 case length is .008 shorter than the 6.5 Creedmoor,but it will stretch out in 1-2 firings. And if your one of those "Lapua brass" guy's,now you can have Lapua brass for your Creedmoor with some Lapua 22-250 brass.
Making it from 308 brass is a PIA,not only do you have to trim it,you will also have to turn the necks and or ream the necks from necking the brass down to 6.5mm.

I make all of my 260 Remington brass with 243 Winchester brass. Just neck up the case,load and shoot. Nothing else to it.

The 6.5x55 is a fantastic round,and for the guy's that have a problem with a long action receiver-get over it,there's no difference in the accuracy,you just pull the bolt about an inch farther back than a short action.
I shoot a little longer/faster version of it -a 6.5-06 A Square. Brass can be made from the 30-06 family of cases. I use 270 Winchester brass for mine because I shoot a 25-06 and 30-06 and don't want to chance mixing brass.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

I've already made the choice, and it's the original, the 6.5 Swedish Mauser. Mine's built on a left hand Tikka action, which can handle modern pressures without batting an eye. We have several Swede's in the family, primarily because it works. Very, very, well indeed. You want to ring the 600 yard gong on our range? It's only 12" in diameter, but the Swede does it just about every time.

And, I've got a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10X 44mm on my Tikka, in Talley rings, fits just fine. I've also never, ever, found a problem getting components to reload the Swede. In other words, why re-form .308 brass when you can buy 6.5 Swede brass? Long action, short action? It means exactly nothing until and unless you prove you can outshoot the very supposed "limitations" of a well set up long action. There are, maybe, a hundred & fifty people now actively shooting in this country who can do that. The game will never know or care. If you just have to have the Swede in a semi-auto, get a Ljungman.

900F

 

[Buck13]

To get the most out of the Swede, you need to hand load due to pressure rlimitations of most factory ammo.

I do handload. I should have mentioned that.

 

[TarDevil]

i would think what uses i would want the rifle for and than decide on what rifle i wanted and also decide what the proper twist for the bullets i would use( heavy or light for hunting or target). my 6.5x55 swedes like 140-156 gr fairly heavy bullets, but my .260 rem xp-100R pistol, browning low wall and 7600 like 120-129gr bullets. eastbank.

I've read elsewhere that the .260 loses accuracy with bullets over 130 gr. Personally, I don't know.

 

[morcey2]

I've read elsewhere that the .260 loses accuracy with bullets over 130 gr. Personally, I don't know.

There are some factory rifles that have 1:9.5 twist that are borderline in stabilizing some 130 gr bullets, but the SAAMI recommended twist is 1:9 which should be fine with 130s. 140s are another story. (depends on length, not weight, but you get what I mean) I know quite a few people who shoot 260s with 140 gr bullets with great success in 1:8 twist barrels. It's easily a 1000 yard round in the right gun.

Personally, I'd go with the 6.5x55 with a 1:8 twist barrel, but that's just me. Oh, wait. That's what I am doing with Oberndorf Gew 98 action. (someone already butchered the rest of the rifle; I'd love a full Gew98) But I have a Savage 110 that may still become a 260 AI.... or 6.5-06. Or 6.5-284. Haven't decided yet. I still think a 260 is still more of a long action cartridge with 140 gr bullets. Just throat the barrel and seat the bullets out farther for a little more powder room. In a true short-action, the 6.5 CM is definitely the way to go.

Matt

 

[Pilot]

id choose the .260 remington, same ballistics as the 6.5x55 but available on many more rifles, not just bolt actions but also semi automatics as well, can be inexpensively made on .308 brass so its going to be a lot cheaper to reload, and even though the 6.5x55 case is larger, the 260 remington operates at 7,000PSI more

This is my thinking also. My next rifle will be in .260 Remington, and yes I reload. It is a great round, especially for reloaders. Nothing wrong with the Swede though, but I prefer the shorter action.

 

[Cleveland48]

This is a very tough one. I have owned and and hunted with 6.5's only for the last 7 years. The 260, 6.5 swede, and 6.5 creedmoor a basically identical. I use the creedmoor now. I have not noticed any difference between the 28 deer I've killed with these 3 calibers. The creedmoor is more accurate in my rifle which is a dirt cheap ruger american predator. I love all 3 calibers. Honestly you cannot go wrong with any of the 3. The 260 was an abolt II and the Swede was a model 70 classic featherweight. In case you are wondering.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

I've read elsewhere that the .260 loses accuracy with bullets over 130 gr. Personally, I don't know.

My Shilen barreled (1:8 twist) Savage in 260 shoots 140gr Amax into 1/4-1/2 MOA.

Have fun with your 6.5 though! I was on the fence between Sweedish and 260 but ultimately the short action won me over. Take a look at the Vhitavhouri reloading manuals, I think I saw 6.5x55 loads for modern actions in there.

 

[justin22885]

if youre going for a bolt action, id still go for the 260, then you could get something like a mossberg MVP in .308 and rebarrel it, have an accurate .260 rifle that feeds from detachable M14 mags.. generally speaking youre not going to get 20 rounds of 6.5x55 into any mag